Overall, 46 percent of Americans believe "Obamacare" will have an overall negative effect on the economy, compared with 37 percent that believe it will help. The difference is politically significant — many more Independent voters believe it will hurt rather than help — and the perception could have political ramifications for President Barack Obama as he begins to make it part of his campaign platform.

But with the economy continuing to top the list of Americans' perceived most important problems facing the country, the impact of the ACA on the national economy is a major consideration. The current data show that Americans are as divided on the question of the ACA's economic impact as they are on the bill itself, heavily along political lines. But Americans' overall tilt toward the view that the ACA will hurt the economy may be a liability for President Obama and the ACA's proponents.